Revealed, how drug dealers and gangsters STILL owe us £10m

‘SNP has to take tougher action’

CRIMINALS targeted using laws designed to seize their ill-gotten gains owe the Crown £10million.

Prosecutors say they take in millions every year under the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the money diverted into community projects.

But many offenders, including fraudsters, drug dealers and money launderers, still owe cash years after confiscation orders were imposed by courts.

Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) figures show there is £9.8million outstanding in confiscation orders compared to £7million last year. More than £5.2million is owed by ten people.

As of last month, Glasgow pair Anthony

Woods and Francis Mulligan, jailed in January 2018 after admitting multiple charges linked to serious organised crime, had the largest amounts outstanding.

At a hearing in June, Woods, 45, was hit with an £875,070 confiscation order, while Mulligan, 43, was ordered to pay £810,108. Woods has not handed over a penny and Mulligan has paid only £8,000. Edinburgh brothel boss Margaret Paterson had a £1million confiscation order imposed on her in May, 2015.

But when she died in September at the age of 66, she had paid only £219,559. Prosecutors are trying to recover the money from her estate.

In 2013, she was jailed for five years after being convicted of brothel-keeping, money laundering and living on the earnings of prostitution.

Jacqueline McPhie, 49, jailed for embezzling more than £1.3million from her employers, was ordered to pay back £587,434 in November, 2016, but has paid only £33,715.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: ‘The SNP’s failure to make this law work is letting criminals off the hook, and depriving victims and communities of serious cash.’

Scottish Labour justice spokesman James Kelly said: ‘These figures make it clear that the SNP has to take tougher action on the enforcement of fines.’

The SCTS said £4.96million of the money outstanding was ‘in arrears’, while £4.84million was ‘on track’ to be paid through instalments. A spokesman said: ‘By its nature, a confiscation order is a financial penalty that may take some time to recover in full.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘The Proceeds of Crime Act continues to be an effective tool in the fight against organised crime in Scotland.’